Jason Gardener, the nice guy who won
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One of the most likable and genuine athletes of his generation, Jason Gardener was a distinct figure in the men’s sprints in the late 90s and early 2000s. There was no braggado, no menace, no strutting, he just went about his business as a quietly effective and efficient medal-winning machine. As his peers were spitting in each other’s lanes, getting into warm up track fights and using every tool to intimidate, Jason describes his approach as being “a silent assassin.” He opens up to tell all about standing out as a dark skinned child growing up in affluent Bath. The ascent to international athletics, the injuries and rivalries and the ongoing satisfaction of winning Olympic gold with team-mates Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis in Athens 2004. You can read more about that monumental sporting moment in “Our Race,” a fantastic book by Trystan Bevan and Ben Mercer.
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39 episodes